Variety denomination: Variety of Prunus persica, denominated as xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99.
The present invention relates to a new, novel and distinct variety of peach tree, which is denominated varietally as xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99. The xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 peach tree produces a high quality, firm freestone peach that matures early mid-season and requires approximately 500 to 550 chilling units of dormancy.
The xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 peach is characterized as to novelty and is otherwise noteworthy by producing fruit which ripens in the early midseason that is high quality, firm and has attractive coloration. In this regard, the present peach tree variety bears fruit that are ripe for commercial harvesting and shipment in early to middle June, when the fruit is grown in central Texas. This is comparable to or shortly after the peach tree varieties xe2x80x98TexRoyalxe2x80x99 (not patented) (Byrne and Bacon, 1991, HortScience 26:1338-1340) and xe2x80x98Juneprincexe2x80x99 (not patented) (Okie and Reilly, 1987, HortScience 22:325-326). Additionally, xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 exhibits the potential to be commercialized in regions that have relatively low chilling requirements (i.e., 500 to 600 chilling units) or in regions having higher chilling requirements provided spring frosts do not occur.
The present peach tree was the result of an on going Stone Fruit Breeding Program of Texas AandM University, College Station, Tex. To this end, both controlled and hybrid crosses are made each year in order to produce seedling populations from which improved progenies are evaluated and selected.
The seedling xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 originated at the Stone Fruit Breeding Program of the Department of Horticultural Sciences, Texas AandM University, located in College Station, Tex. In 1989, a controlled cross was made on selection P60-12 at the USDA, ARS Horticulture Fruit Crops Research Laboratory. The P60-12 selection is a selection from a cross between xe2x80x98Firebritexe2x80x99 (ASHS, 1997, The Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties) and xe2x80x98Sunfrexe2x80x99 (Ramming and Andrews, 1982, HortScience 17:412), and was pollinated with pollen from xe2x80x98Flordakingxe2x80x99, a non-patented variety released by the University of Florida (Andrews et al., 1979, HortScience 14:81-82).
Resulting seedlings from this cross were planted in a high-density fruiting nursery at College Station in 1990. In 1992, xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 was marked for subsequent observation and noted as having exceptional characteristics, including mid-season maturity, large fruit size, good productivity, yellow ground color, round shape, high red overcolor, and excellent firmness. It was propagated asexually by budding and has been evaluated in Texas and California.
The new variety xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 was bud grafted onto virus free xe2x80x98Nemaguardxe2x80x99 (not patented) (ASHS, 1997, The Brooks and Olmo Register of Fruit and Nut Varieties) peach rootstock in May, 1992. The budded trees of xe2x80x98TexPrincexe2x80x99 were planted at the experimental orchards at Texas AandM University near the city of College Station, Tex., County of Brazos and near the city of Yoakum, Tex., County of Dewitt. Additionally, the trees were planted at the experimental orchards near the city of Fowler, Calif., County of Fresno, in the central portion of the San Joaquin Valley of California. Fruit from the resulting propagation has been evaluated for the 1995 to 2001 fruit seasons in College Station and in Yoakum, and for the 1998 to 2001 fruit seasons in Fowler. This evaluation clearly demonstrated that the re-propagated trees are true to the characteristics of the original seedling in all observable aspects.